Ferguson and Human Rights

Ferguson and Human Rights

Most people have never heard of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. And almost no one can name more than a few of the 30 rights it includes — if they even know what “human rights” are.

Yet the protection of individual rights is vital to the stability of communities and the very survival of our culture. Education at all levels is the solution.

Human: noun A member of the Homo sapiens species; a man, woman or child; a person.

Rights: noun Things to which you are entitled or allowed; freedoms that are guaranteed.

Human Rights: noun The rights you have simply because you are human.

Human rights are based on the principle of respect for the individual. Their fundamental assumption is that each person is a moral and rational being who deserves to be treated with dignity. They are called human rights because they are universal. Whereas nations or specialized groups enjoy specific rights that apply only to them, human rights are the rights to which everyone is entitled—no matter who they are or where they live—simply because they are alive.

Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.

Article 8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

In seeking justice for perceived wrong-doings, look to which rights have been violated. Educate yourself and others about these rights.

Make your voice heard. Make human rights education in schools and universities part of the curriculum. You can help ensure human rights are learned and demanded by everyone by signing this petition.

Do you want to take an active role in initiating activities and forwarding the cause of human rights in your community? The most effective thing you can do is start a group!

Following the initial Ferguson protests, Amnesty International USA sent a delegation to Ferguson from Aug. 14-22. This briefing document outlines some of the human rights concerns witnessed by Amnesty International and a series of recommendations that need to be implemented with regards to the use of lethal force by law enforcement officers and the policing of protests.

The City of Ferguson Human Rights Commission hears complaints related to human rights violations and advises the City Council on possible legislative or policy changes to prevent discrimination. [Pam Hylton, Assistant City Manager, 314-524-5158.]

Be aware that every mental health group in the area, and indeed in the country, is going to be offering “support and counseling” to Ferguson residents for their “anger and grief.” Since we already know that the psychiatric and psychological mental health care industry is an affront to human rights, special care is needed to avoid getting sucked into the mental health treatment mill.

Through CCHR’s diligence, thousands of victims of psychiatric human rights abuse have been rescued; patients have regained their legal and civil rights; mental health acts around the world have prohibited the arbitrary use of electroshock treatment and psychosurgery.

However, psychiatrists’ power to coerce patients into putting themselves and their children on very dangerous psychotropic drugs condemns us all to a deepening drug culture and the subversion of the family unit. Seventeen million children worldwide are prescribed antidepressants that cause violent and suicidal behavior. Millions more of our young are prescribed stimulants that are more potent than cocaine.

By depicting those they label mentally ill as a danger to themselves or others, psychiatrists have convinced governments and courts that depriving such individuals of their liberty is mandatory for the safety of all concerned. Wherever psychiatry has succeeded in this campaign, extreme abuses of human rights have resulted.

The right to have a thorough, physical and clinical examination by a competent registered general practitioner of one’s choice, to ensure that one’s mental condition is not caused by any undetected and untreated physical illness, injury or defect, and the right to seek a second medical opinion of one’s choice, is provided for in CCHR’s Declaration of Mental Health Rights.